Wonder
by ProngsFinn
Summary: Hatter becomes too impatient to wait in Underland for Alice and goes to find her. What will happen to our Mad friend in a world that is in complete contradiction to him? Alice/Hatter Will have M rated chapters later on.


Alice in Wonderland continuation…

Hatter's POV!

She had been gone 13 years in her world's time, or so she told me, before she was able to return after her first visit. I began to fear just how long she would leave me this time.

I knew I loved her, we all did the moment we first met her all those years ago. But now, after spending time with her and seeing the beautiful woman she's become I couldn't control my heart. I fell for her hard and fast. It was all I could do not to really interfere during her battle with the Jabberwocky. But I restrained…mostly. I fought Red Knight for her and danced when she won. Then she left me. Left with only a promise to someday return and to never forget me. So I promised to wait for her, here in Underland.

~One Year later~

No Alice. A year has passed and still no Alice. The White Queen refuses to let me read the Oraculum for fear I'll rush something or rather change the course laid out for Underland. But I can't contain my fears. What if she never returns? What if she has forgotten me? Marsh Hare is annoyed with me for he says I am no longer my mad self and we both know why.

I miss her.

I can't focus anymore on anything, not that I could before but it's much worse now. White Queen is sympathetic towards me knowing I'm in pain and understands that I can't even create any new hats because of it. I'm always watching and after one year, three months, fourteen days, nine hours, and thirty minutes I couldn't stand it anymore. I left my home in search of the White Queen to beg for something, anything to bring Alice back or to take me to her. She, as always, understood and while disapproving she gave me the blood of the Jabberwocky and made me promise to return down the rabbit hole after I've filled my senses of Alice.

I promise.

Alice's POV

I'll, finally, be returning home. My trip lasted over a year and while I did everything I hoped to I couldn't help but feel sad. I missed my friends from Wonderland. While I've found people in reality that are very similar to those in Wonderland I have yet to find someone even close to Hatter. Although I doubt that there could ever be two Hatters in this universe.

The Carriage bumped and rolled away from the piers, and my ship 'Wonder', taking me back to my London home. But I couldn't bring myself to care as I thought of my dearest friend. I would have loved to be able to talk to Hatter about what I was doing and tell him of the amazing places that I was able to visit.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

His voice echoed through my head as I closed my tired brown eyes and pictured him with his bright red, curly, crazy hair, bright green eyes. Mad and wonderful.

'I wonder if he remembers me…' I thought as the carriage came to a stop in front of my childhood flat. As I stepped out of the carriage to be embraced by my family my thoughts of Hatter moved from the fore front of my thoughts.

Hatter's POV!

Falling up the rabbit hole is strange but enjoyable.

'I wonder if Alice enjoyed it…' I thought as I pulled myself up out of the rabbit hole. Once out I was able to get a good look around. A forest. How strange no talking animals or flowers…I didn't see Alice anywhere around here but McTwisp told me that Alice didn't live near here at all but rather in the city of "London". What an odd name for a city.

A sudden gust of wind sent a chill up my spine, bring me to notice that I was no longer in my usual clothes but rather something else entirely. My normal brown jacket changed to black and my necktie into blacks and blues verse my favorite purple and oranges. My pants were no longer brown with orange stripes but blacks and blues to match my necktie! Oh what terrible things have happened to my clothes! I hope that Alice has something better for me to wear then this…Another slight wind blows by and I feel my hair isn't covered as it normally would be. I reach my hand up to check on my favorite hat…MY HAT IS GONE! I look all around for my hat before I look back down the rabbit hole but know better than to bend far enough to fall. It must have fallen off on the trip up…how very depressing.

I pulled out the map McTwisp gave me to lead me to Alice's house causing my spirits to lift considerably at seeing how it will only take a day's walk to get to.

'Oh how it enjoy walks.' I thought, smiling, as I put the map away and started my walk to find Alice.

~Next Day~

London…how dull a city absolutely no color in sight. No talking animals and every person is dressed in exceptionally boring, lifeless clothes.

'No wonder Alice thought Underland a dream!' I thought as I looked at a young couple crossing the cobblestone road both in plain white with touches of yellow in the patterns of their clothing. The woman was plain at best and the young lad was lacking severely.

Pulling out my map once again I came to the happy realization that Alice's flat stood only a bit further down this road. I was so please that I ran the remaining distance, startling many of the other people on the road. I received plenty of strange looks from everyone thinking me mad. Although I do enjoy the attention I decided that I would rather see Alice again. I slowly climb the stairs leading to her home, nervous now that she wouldn't remember me at all. Or that she doesn't recognize me without my hat! Or that she refuses to see me and has found another! Oh dear tea pot! Upon reaching the top step I decide to forget all this pointless jabber and at least try to see her.

I knock.

One one thousands, two one thousand, three one thousand, four one thousand…

I knock again.

…Five one thousand, six one thousand, seven one thousand…

'Oh look a button!' I reach out and press the randomly located button thus creating loud chiming inside the house. 'Mmm… how entertaining.'

…Eight one thousand, nine one thousand, ten one thousand…

"Coming!" A voice sounded behind the wooden door. I released the breathe I hadn't realized I was holding at hearing a response. The door soon opened to reveal an older woman with silver hairs and, again, plain clothes.

'What is it with people here and lack of colors?' I thought at the sight of her dress.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Her voice was a bit breathless and impatient. 'Introductions are so strange here…'

"Yes I'm here to see Alice Kingsley." The woman's face changed drastically at hearing Alice's name. Almost as though in complete shock that I knew Alice.

"Oh yes, please come in. I'll get Alice." She took a step to the side to let me past her and into a tiny foyer. "Alice you have a visitor." As the woman yelled this she looked me up and down as jubjub bird eyes its prey.

"Yes Mary, I'm coming." I heard her! Alice! It took me extreme effort not to break out in a futterwacken at just the sound of her voice.

Alice's POV

The day was going wonderfully. Mother had Mary make my favorite foods and I was given the day off so that I could spend the entire time with Mother, Margate and her baby girl, who had grown exceptionally since I had last seen her. But right before lunch there was a visitor at the door making Mary, who was helping cook, to have to run to answer the door. The conversation that she and the stranger had made little sense. I didn't expect any visitors today, I had been gone a year so I doubted any suitors would come seeking my attention, but his voice did sound very familiar. So I left my Mother and sister at the table to go see my guest with my curiosity peeking.

In the middle of the foyer stood a tall, well built man with copper colored hair and bright green eyes. Lightly tanned skin, extremely large smile, blue and black tux and necktie. Very attractive to be honest and very familiar. I'm certain that my face looked puzzled because his wonderful smile slowly slid off his face.

"You don't remember me do you?" His voice was even more familiar. 'I've met him before…but where?' My thoughts were spinning in circles looking for the memory with him in it. But all I was able to come up with was a question that for some reason I could connect to him.

"You are very familiar to me but I can't recall when we've met. Can you please remind me?" I asked, praying I didn't insult him.

Hatter's POV

She doesn't recognize me…well no she doesn't but she can't connect who I really am with this rather terribly put together outfit. Thinking quickly I remembered something that I knew she would remember and be able to connect to me.

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" My words flowed out of my mouth and to her.

Alice's POV

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" The question filled the room as I looked at him, finally connecting the pieces. Hatter, my beloved Hatter! I ran to him, almost knocking us both to the floor before he was able to catch me and regain his footing. Once that was done he continued to hold me to his chest in a tight embrace.

"I haven't the slightest idea." I heard him chuckle from my response. "Oh Hatter I've missed you so!" I said, my voice slightly muffled by the fact I had my face pressed against his chest.

"I missed you too Alice." He said, his voice soft as velvet against my skin. His hold on me was a vise grip as though he was afraid to let me go. 'The feeling is mutual.' I thought.

"Wait." I said as I pulled away something finally occurring to me. "How'd you get here? Did something happen?" My eyes connecting with his as my worry took over me. Did they need me to come back? But his eyes held such emotion, none of which worry, that I was able to calm some. "And what happened to your hat?" At that question his face fell.

"Underland is fine. But it appears as though I am not allowed to have my hat here or it fell off when I was falling up the rabbit hole." He responded, pouting.

"Well then, let's get you another then? You don't look yourself without one." I smiled and at my statement he did too.

"Alice, who's your guest?" Mother asked from behind me…'Oh I forgot. We aren't alone…' I smiled slightly as I saw Hatter looking over my shoulder at Mother and more than likely Margate. It was at that moment I noticed that he was much taller than me his chin coming to the top of my head. 'How interesting.'


End file.
